Dubai's 'Al Sufouh' tram or your car: Who gets to cross first?

The arrival of ‘Al Sufouh’ trams on the roads of Dubai next year will necessitate a new set of traffic rules, one of which was decided on by the police and RTA on Wednesday.

The rule is that where the routes of the tram and other vehicles intersect, the tram will have priority, Dubai Police and RTA announced.

However, in emergencies, police, ambulance and civil defence vehicles will get priority.

Obstructing the tram’s movement, parking or halting vehicles on the tramway will be traffic offences liable for fines.

The flow of traffic in ‘New Dubai’, which will have 11 tram stations, will change after the ‘Al Sufouh’ arrives in November 2014.

A public awareness campaign about managing traffic at intersections will be held well in advance of the tram’s trial run, RTA said in a press release.

A fence is being built to keep pedestrians away from the tramway. Traffic lights will be set up near all tram stations. Six footbridges will be built and there will be waiting areas on both sides of the road.

Dubai Police will handle accidents affecting the movement of trams to ensure restoration of service as soon as possible, investigate road accidents at intersections and managed the flow of traffic at affected intersections, the press release added.